Whitey Morgan & the 78s, Tonk

When: Sun., Oct. 3, 8:30 p.m. 2010

Sure, they're Yankees from Flint, but don't let that fool you. Whitey Morgan & the 78s hew closer to the heart of country than anything emanating from Nashville. Their honky-tonk twang's a living embodiment of W.W.W.D. (What would Waylon do?) right down to frontman Eric Allen's husky baritone. It's dog-eared territory as suggested by the title of their 2008 debut, Honky Tonks and Cheap Motels, which literally namechecks all the usual suspects (Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Hank Sr., Ernest Tubb). They even employ pedal steel guitarist Fred Newell, of Waylon Jennings and Jerry Reed backing fame. Their sauntering, whiskey-soaked heartbreak occasionally manages a strong rock backbeat, though they keenly countrify Springsteen's "I'm On Fire."—Chris Parker